Heating apparatus for automobiles



June 21, 1938.

w. H. KUEHN HEATING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILE S Filed May 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor W212 HAG/ h",

' June 21, 1933. H EHN 2,121,090

HEATING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Inventor m'lion H K Attorneys June 21, 1938. w. H. KUEHN 2,121,090

HEATING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 29, 1937 4 Shets-Sheet 5 N R Q} Inventor Malian/[2 Kuefin/ .-1 z'furneys June 21,193

w. H. KUEHN. 2,121,090

HEATING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E lnve nior mm; H ffdelw A iiorneys Patented June 21, 1938' UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE HEATING Arwnm'ms FOR AUTOMOBILES Wilton n. Kuehn, Hebron, N. Dak. ApplicatiomMay 29,- 1937, Serial No. 145,603 Claims. (01. 123-476) My invention relates to improvements in heating apparatus for automobiles, and more par- :ticularly to apparatus for heating either the cooling fluid of the engineer an automobile or the interior ofthe car as desired.

. The primary object of ,my invention is to provide a heating apparatus of simple construction, and compact arrangement, for attachment to any type ofautomobile as a permanent part thereof for heating the cooling fluid of the engine in extremes of weather prior to starting the engine. to thereby facilitate'such starting, and adapted for also heating the interior of the automobile when the engine is not running.

Other objects are to provide apparatus for the purpose above set forth which is highly eificient in operation, obviates danger from poison gas,

" or fire, is inexpensive to manufacture, and can readily be installed without alteration or modification of the standard equipment of automobiles.

Qther and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which to gether with the exact nature ofmy improvements, will become apparent when the following description and claims are read with reference to the draw- 'ings, accompanying and forming-part of this specification.

In said drawi-hgsz- Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in long tudinal section and partly in side elevation of an automobile equipped according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view partly in longitudinalvertical section and partly in side elevation illustrating a heating cylinderforming part of the apparatus, a heat conducting flue in which-said cylinder is located, a protective hood extending between the flue and the automobile engine, a control valve and parts of the pipe line connecting the heating cylinder in circuit with the cooling system of the automobile engine and the car i valve member when said member is turned to direct the heat into the car heater.

Figure 7 is a similar view illustrating the valve member proper positioned to heat the cooling system of the engine.

Figure 8 is a view in longitudinal section of a modification of the invention for heating lu-- vation illustrating the application of the modified 10 form of the invention. v p \e I Referring to the drawings by numerals, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 as forming part of the equipment of an automobile, conventionally shown, I designating the body, 2 the engine, and 3 a well-known adjunctive unit of the-fluid cooling system of the engine including, in this instance, a lower tap 4 adapted to discharge fluid from the system, and an upper tap 5 for returning fluid thereto, said unit being located at the upper front part of the engine. As will be understood the designated taps 4 and 5 are related to. opposite sides of awater pump forming part of 4 the unit and represented at 6. The numeral! designates the usual car heater, conventionally shown, attached to the dashboard by the usual connections represented at B and 9 respectively.

Coming now to my invention, alongside the lower part of the engine 2 is a heat conducting conduit Ill of cylindrical form comprising a horizontally disposed section I I having an open rear end, a closed front end, a nipple. I2 projecting upwardly from its front end, and a vertical section l3 fitted onto said nipple H2. The conduit l0 may be affixed to the engine 2, as desired, 7 but is preferably connected horizontally to the .unit, 3 in a suspended manner as will presently appear. The-conduit in may be formed of any suitable material and constitutes a flue for a 4o purpose presently stated.'- Between the conduit l0 and the engine 2 is a protective hood, or. guard, l6, comprising a rear vertical wall H extending well below said conduit, and an upper forwardly projecting flange I8 curving over said conduit Ill. The hood I6 extends to the rear end of the conduit III for apurpose presently seen. At its front end said hood I6 is suspended from the conduit III by a clamping bracket indicated at ll. Adjacent its rear .end said hood is susbonded by a suitable form of adjustable bracket l5 from apipeline, presently described, and which serves to suspend one end of the conduit I 0 as bya. suitably arranged bracket IS. The bracket limaybeattachedtotheencinei also,inany 56 suitable manner to support the heater against Connected to the rear end of the cylinder 23, by

a reducer coupling 22, is a relatively smaller gooseneck pipe section 23 depending through and seated in a notch 24 in' the rear end of said section II and extending forwardly below said sections. Projecting obliquely downward from the tap 4, 'as by a coupling 25, is a depending pipe assembly including an upright section 23 and a rearwardly extending horizontal lower section 21 connected by a coupling 23 to the forward extension of the gooseneck section 23. As will be un derstood, the pipe assembly 26, 21, and the gooseneck section 23 form an inlet pipeline for the discharge of fluid from the unit 3into the rear end of the heating cylinder 23 and which toupper tap 5, by a coupling 33, is an outlet pipeline 3| extending into the conduit section l3 and connected to the front end of the heating cylinder 23 by a reducer coupling 32. As will be manifest,the pipe line 3| suspends the front end of 1 the heating cylinder 23 from the top 5. Interposed in the pipeline 3| within the conduit section i3 is a two-way control valve 33. An intake, or feed pipe 34, extends from one side of said valve 33 through the conduit section l3 to the top of the car heater I. As will now be seen, the front end of the conduit section II is also suspended by the pipe line 3| from the tap 5 and by the said feed pipe 34; V

Clamped to the gooseneck section 23, at the rear end thereof, as by the clip 35 and bolt 33, is a bracket 31 of suitable construction for supporting a blow torch 33 directly under a cut out 33 in the rear end of the'conduit section ll whereby the flame of said torch is located withinsaid end of said section. V

Suitably mounted in the valve 33 is a two-blade valve member 43 manipulative by a hand wheel 4|, extending exteriorly of the conduit section l3, into two different positions illustrated in Figures 3 and 7 respectively. In one ofsaid positions,

that shown in Figure 6, fluid rising in the pipe line 3| is directed into the inlet or feed pipe 34 of the heater. In the other position of said mem-,

ber 43, that shown in Figure 7, the valve 33 is opened to the pipe line 3| for the free flow of fluid therethrough to the tap 5.

Coming now to the operation of the describedpreparatory to starting, the valve member 43 is rotated to the position illustrated in Figure 7 and the torch 33 lighted. The heat from the torch circulates through the heat conducting conduit l3 thereby heating thefluid in-said cylinder 23 and in the pipe parts housed in said conduit, The

heated'fluid rises through the open valve 33 into the tap 5 and cooling system thereby setting up a siphoning action through the heating apparatus.

when it is desired to heat the car without starting the engine 2, the valve member 43 is rotated into position shown in Figure 6 and the torch 33 lighted. In this position of the valve member 43 a suflicient flow of heated fluid through the'valve 33 and pipeline 3| is obtained to set up the before mentioned siphoning action. However, the major flow of fluid from the heating cylinder 23 is through the valve 33 to the car heater I by way of pipe section 34, through the heater 'l 'and back, to inlet pipe 23 by way of discharge pipe 23 and sections 21 and 23 to the heating cylinder 23. As will be manifest, after the engine 2 is started, the valve member 43 being set in the Figure 7 position, the fluid is circulated under the action of the fluid or water pump 3 to the heater 1 and the car heated by the hot fluid from the coolingsystem.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figure 8 or 9, a drum 42, for heating oil, is fitted over a conduit 43, similar to conduit l3, and by means of an axial sleeve 44 therein extending beyond the ends of said drum and secured to reducer couplings 45' on opposite ends of a heating cylinder 43 by meansof screws 41 passing through the extensions of said sleeve 44 and said conduit 43. The drum 42 is centered over the cylinder 43. The latter is similar to heating cylinder 23 and fitted snugly into the conduit 43 to disseminate heat through the latter and the sleeve 44 into the drum 42. A pair of inlet and outlet petcocks 43 and 43 are connected to opposite top and bottom ends of the drum 42 respectively.

lated through said drum 42 when said petcocks 43 and 43 are opened. As shown in Figure 10, the pipe 53 may be connected in the line of connection 54 between the oil pump 55 of the engine 56 and the crank case 51, whereas, the pipe 5| maybe connected to the crankcase 51. In this form of the invention, the oil in the engine is warmed at the same time as the cooling fluid in order to facilitate starting of the engine. v

.In the operation of the modified form of the invention, the inlet petcock 48 is I opened and the outlet petcock 43 closed prior to stopping the engine until the oil containing drum 42 is filled with oil. This condition may be ascertained by way of a drain nipple 52 on said drum 42 covered by a screw cap 53. The heating cylinder 46 is heated in practically the same manner and by the same means as described with reference to the preferred form of the invention. When the oil in the drum 42 is sufliciently heated, the petcock 43 is opened to permit the oil to flow from the drum back into the. oil circulating system. It is to be understood that the heating of the oil in the drum 42 may be accomplished after the engine has stopped running and said oil introduced to the circulating system whilethe engine is cold for instance when the machine has been left standing in cold weather.

The foregoing constitutes a detailed descrip- .-tion of a preferred embodiment of my invention,

and one modification thereof, and it is believed that the'operation, construction and advantages of the invention will be clearly understood therefrom without further explanation.

, Manifestly, the invention is susceptible of modification in other respects than as described and right is herein reserved to all such modifications falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

WhatIclaim is:

1. Heating apparatus for use in connection with the water cooling system of an automobile engine and comprising an'elongated-heating cylinder having closed ends and for location alongside said engine, inlet and outlet pipe lines extending from opposite ends of the cylinder, respectively, for connecting the cylinder in the water cooling system for circulation of water therethrough, a cylindrical heat conducting jacket surrounding said cylinder, said jacket being open at both ends and extending at one end beyond the cylinder, and a torchlike heat generating unit at the extending end of the jacket for introducing heat into said end.

2. Heating apparatus for use in connection with the water cooling, system of an automobile engine and comprising an elongated heating cyltroducing heat into said end, and a guard exas inder having closed ends and for location alongside said engine, inlet and outlet pipe. lines ex tending from oppositeends of the cylinder, re-- spectively, for connecting the cylinder in the water cooling system for circulation of water therethrough, a cylindrical heat conducting jacket surrounding said cylinder, said jacket bein open: at both ends and extending'at one end beyond the cylinder, altorchlike heat generating unit at the extending end of the jacket for in-i tending over the top of the jacket'and below the same on one side thereof.

3. Heating apparatus in use in connection with the watercoolingsystem of an automobile engine and comprising an elongated heating cylinder having closed ends and for location alongside said engine, inlet and outlet pipe lines extending from opposite ends of the cylinder, respectively, fer connecting the cylinder in the water cooling, system for circulation of water therethrough, a cylindrical heat conducting ia -lr- 'et surrounding said cylinder, said jacket being open at both ends and extending at one end beyond the cylinder, and a torchlike heat generatingunit at the extending end of the jacket for introducing heat into said end. said cylinder having hollow exterior ribs extending longitu- V dinaily thereof and fitting snugly in said jacket.

4. Heating apparatus for use in connection with the water cooling system of an automobile engine and comprising an elongated. heating cylinder having closed ends and for location horizontally alongside said engine, inlet and outlet v of an automobile engine and comprising a heating cylinder for location alongside the engine and having inlet and outlet ends, respectively, inlet and outlet pipelines extending from said ends, respectively, forconnection in said cooling system to provide for circulation of water through the cylinder, means for heating said cylinder at will, and a drum surrounding saidcylinder and having inlet and outlet pipe lines extending therefrom for connection to the engine to provide for circulation of the lubricating fluid Irom the engine-through said drum.

. WILTON H. KUEHN. 

